Making Friends
by planet p
Summary: AU; making friends can be scary.


**Making Friends **by planet p

**Disclaimer** I don't own _the Pretender_ or any of its characters.

* * *

_2009_

Debbie Broots wore a shirt dotted with little reindeers for the festive season as she shuffled items across the counter in the coffee store where she worked, part of the local mall, located at Shop 32d.

She didn't sing along to the songs played over the radio – 15-year-old Julie Beaumorris had filled that vocation, who lived across the street from JR Cox. (Julie's mom, it was said, harboured a slight obsession for the man and his _oriental, criminal friend_, Mr. Yamamoto, believing him, in fact, to be from Japan and a part of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Her obsession with Cox was apparently more of a stalker thing; she'd started keeping close guard on him since she'd seen young Ursula Cox's episode on _True Crimes_, and an even closer eye since her daughter had fallen over whilst skating two years ago outside his house and he'd come outside to see if she was hurt – he was a doctor – Mr. Yamamoto's part in all of this, it seemed, had been to scare Sally, Julie's mom, into keeping her troublemaking ambitions under wraps; it hadn't, in that light, been such a sure thing; she was making as much trouble as ever, undecided on who she was crushing on more.)

From all of the stories, Debbie was afraid that if Miss Parker were to cross the woman in the mall one day, out for an innocent day of expensive shopping, that she would begin crushing on her also, without even realising why. (Mr. Yamamoto wasn't, of course, with the Yakuza – Miss Parker had told her they _didn't_ like him, even – but Sally had been easily convinced by his accent when he was, in fact, as American as she was; hailing from Nebraska, Miss Parker had told her.) If it was simpler than that even, merely that blue-eyed boys were her 'on' button, then Debbie worried for Sam. (Her father and Jarod were immune with brown eyes, but poor, old Sam was blue-eyed.)

She was, to Julie's singing girl, the smiling girl.

One day, she decided to chum up to Julie, seeking answers. She'd do it stealthily – it would be difficult, a high-priority top-secret mission – but the moment the words had left her mouth 'Japanese fellow' Julie launched into a gushing lecture.

His name was Mr. Yamamoto – she didn't know his first name – he was Cox's friend, Cox was her neighbour, he'd killed his little sister, and Mr. Yamamoto had come to their house to inform her mom that her playboy mouth wasn't wanted in relation to Mr. Cox. Well, of course, he'd said it way nicer – he said _everything_ nicer – but the message had been the same: we're watching and we're _definitely_ dangerous.

"Should I be afraid of drive-bys?" Debbie asked, watching Julie's luminous eyes sparkle.

"Oh, no, I don't think he's like that, I mean, I think he's kind of private about what he does. I just think a drive-by would be too public, if you know what I mean. It screams criminal drug ring!"

"Drugs?"

Julie laughed, a hand on her nose. "Oh, well, not only drugs! It's just what they say isn't it – drug ring?"

"Well, maybe he's more of an illegal arms trading guy," Debbie proposed.

Julie's eyes got big. "Oh, gosh! You've a valid point, of course." She blinked rapidly, her eyes darting downward as though following a fly. "What's your name? I'm Julie!"

"Debbie."

Julie grabbed her hand, which rested on the counter, and shook it sloppily and rigorously. "Do you know Cox? He lives in our neighbourhood! My mom says he's a sex offender! Did you see the show? I mean, Shannen's show?"

Debbie nodded. She had.

Julie lowered her voice to a whisper-hiss. "Does it scare you?"

Debbie frowned. "No so much. My dad works for some big corporation."

Julie's eyes narrowed, then widened.

Debbie's stomach felt kind of sick, like she'd been watching the tumble dryer just that bit too intently, after eating a tonne of cotton candy and fizzy drinks, or cart wheeled all the way home and left her car in the parking lot (as stipulated in her diary as part of her quest to save fossil fuels whilst getting fit at the same time).

"You mean… perks?"

"He's the best," Debbie revealed. It was true, her dad was the best tech the Blue Cove branch had.

Julie's eyes got a bit dreamy. "I wish I had a dad," she confessed. "I used to wish my mom would hook up with Light – that's what I call Mr. Yamamoto – but now I'm kinda over that." She sighed. "Lighto's all mine; I've only got two years left to wait!"

Debbie fought back a choke. That was fairly freaky. "Maybe he's already attached?" she suggested.

"No ring!" Julie declared.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't have a girlfriend," Debbie rebutted, "or fiancé."

Julie laughed and shrugged a shoulder casually. "We're going to be together, I just know it!"

"Maybe he's gay."

Julie cracked up.

A customer arrived at the counter; Julie stopped laughing, Debbie turned away.

* * *

"Your dad sounds cool," Julie told her later. "What's his name?"

"Broots," Debbie automatically responded.

"Isn't that your name, too?" Julie asked sceptically. "I kind of meant _his_ name, his first name."

"E."

Julie pulled a face.

Debbie shrugged. "People just call him Broots; I've seen the E on some bills. As in: Mr. E. Broots, or E. Broots."

Julie laughed great hysterical giggles. "You don't know your dad's first name?" she gasped out with watery eyes.

Debbie frowned. "No. Is there something wrong with that? I mean, is there a law against it?"

Julie tossed her head from side to side, tears sliding about. "I think it's kind of cool, actually," she admitted. "It's so cute! My mom won't even tell me if my dad's an A or a B or a C or whatever." She howled with laughter. "Do you think it's because he's bad?" she asked. "Like, that's why she's obsessed with Cox and Light?"

"My parents are divorced," Debbie told her.

Julie sobered, wiping her eyes so that her tears spilled themselves onto the sides of her fingers and she smudged them onto her cheeks. "That's so sad," she said.

Debbie's face was indifferent. "They didn't really get along, I guess."

Julie nodded. "That's so sad," she repeated. She grinned. "Is Shannen totally obsessed with Baby Bowman or what?" she shot excitedly. "And that Jimmy boy?" She giggled. "Hey! Let's go out for coffee later!" She giggled harder. "But not _here_!"

"Cool," Debbie answered. If anyone knew about obsession, she figured it would be Julie. She wouldn't say so though 'cause if she didn't act like a troll maybe she'd finally have a friend her dad would approve of. (She wasn't dumping Silvana, she was Harry Potter-ifying them; they'd be a trio, now. At least, for a little while. She supposed Julie needed a friend.)

* * *

She offered Julie a ride in her car for the trip over to Bay Mall where Silvie had started a job as a cleaner, but she'd be getting off by the time they arrived.

As they walked towards the food court, Julie skipped and hummed Christmas carols.

Debbie pretended not to be embarrassed. When she spotted Silvie at the pet store, she nodded in her direction, and began walking over. "This is my best friend," she told Julie.

Julie's eyes got a look in them, then, as if she'd just noticed that Silvie was a Goth, and maybe Goths scared her, or maybe not. (She hadn't decided yet.)

Silvie greeted them both with hugs, and then asked who Julie was.

Julie wasn't saying anything.

Debbie explained that they worked together and they'd made a pact to go out for coffee together after work.

Silvie smiled and left the pet store with them.

"Do you have any other friends, like at school?" Debbie asked as they walked.

Julie shrugged. "I kind of did," she replied. "But then they didn't want me anymore, which is, like, the suckiest thing ever, isn't it?"

Debbie nodded. "Yeah," she agreed.

"You look kind of familiar," Julie admitted, turning her head to stare at Silvie.

"We used to work at McDonald's," Silvie told her. "Debbie and I."

Julie frowned. "So, how come… I mean… you don't anymore?"

"I'm epileptic."

"That's so lame," Julie confessed in an echoing voice.

Debbie laughed. "The manager was made of Flubber!"

Julie frowned. "Are you, like, from another country?" she asked.

"I'm Canadian," Silvie told her.

"I hope you don't think we're all lame like that manager dude!" Julie said.

Silvie smiled warmly. "No."

"So, is Silvie your Goth name?" Julie asked.

"I don't know; what's a Goth name?" Silvie questioned.

Julie grinned. "Like a cooler, kind of darker name than your folks gave you. Kind of like a codename or a pen name."

Silvie smiled. "No, Silvie is my name. Actually, an abbreviation of my name. My name is Silvana."

"That's so cool," Julie told her. "I reckon, when I'm older, I'm going to call myself Julia. You know, like Julia Roberts." She mimed an air kiss.

"I like Julie," Silvie told her.

Debbie grinned. "Same."

Julie smiled back.

When they'd ordered – Silvie payed – they sat down at a table in the food court with their cups of hot coffee and sipped them slowly.

"Do you have a car, too?" Julie asked, once they'd finished their coffees and were making their way back to the parking lot.

"I did have, but as an epileptic you're only allowed to drive if you've not had a seizure for a couple of years."

Julie's face fell a bit and she huffed.

* * *

Outside of Julie's house, Debbie glanced at Silvie. She hoped she wasn't upset. "She thinks she's going to marry your dad," she told her, hitting the indicator to pull out onto the road.

Silvie broke into laughter.

* * *

_Silvana is Dolphy's real name. (I've changed her name for most of my stories, though I like her real name best.)_

_Thanks for reading._


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